


Finally

by yafan92



Category: Crescent City Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yafan92/pseuds/yafan92
Summary: Set directly after the events of "House of Earth and Blood", this is my take on what happened when Hunt and Bryce finally had some time to themselves.
Relationships: Hunt Athalar/Bryce Quinlan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77





	1. Their First Time

Hunt smiled at Bryce as she burst through the door, Syrinx in tow. She seemed happier, lighter, than he had ever seen before, and her mood was infectious. He finished putting bacon on her plate as she wrapped her arms around his waist in greeting, and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he turned with their breakfast in his hands. "Hungry?" he asked.

"Starving," she replied, still grinning at him.

He walked their plates over to the barstools, where he had already placed their mugs of coffee. "Good, because I also stopped for some chocolate croissants on the way home." He gestured to the bag on the counter, and laughed as she squeaked and dug one of the pastries out, devouring it in three bites. He grabbed one for himself as he sat and took a forkful of eggs.

Setting another croissant on her plate, Bryce sat beside him, her knee brushing his. "What happened at the Comitium after I left?" she asked, biting into a strip of bacon. 

"Oh, more of the same," he replied. "I did a lot of glaring and threatened to electrocute a few people who were giving Isaiah a hard time."

Bryce threw her head back and laughed, the sound causing a painful tightening in Hunt's chest. He still couldn't quite believe they had managed to both survive the previous day, and holding her lifeless body as she made the Ascent still weighed heavily on his mind. He kept the conversation light as they ate, however, content to just enjoy her company as Syrinx silently begged for some scraps at their feet. 

Tossing the last bite of his bacon at the chimera, Hunt grabbed Bryce's hand and idly ran his thumb over her knuckles. 

"So, what did you have planned for today?" she asked, turning to face him.

Running his free hand through his hair, Hunt sighed. "I'll probably need to go back in a little while. It's still a madhouse over there."

Bryce's lips tightened into a frown. "But you just spent all day and night there!" she protested. "And technically you don't even work there anymore!"

"I know," he groaned. "But Isaiah asked me to-"

"And what if I asked you to stay?" she interrupted, standing and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

Hunt buried his head in the soft arch of her neck as he gently embraced her, reveling in her scent and the soft curves beneath his hands. "Oh? And what did you want to do today, sweetheart?" he murmured against her skin.

Her breath caught, and Hunt smirked as the scent of her arousal reached him. "Well," she drawled, "there is a 'Fangs and Bangs' marathon we could watch." 

Hunt pulled back to look at her, but the sarcastic remark died on his lips as her face suddenly fell, remembering, no doubt, the fire sprite who had loved that show. So instead he just held her, brushing away a tear as it ran down her face. "Lehabah -" Her voice broke.

"I know," Hunt said quietly, feeling his own eyes burn as he stood and pulled Bryce into his chest. Her arms slid down to wrap around her waist, and he stroked her hair with a hand. They stood like that for a long minute, in silent remembrance of their brave friend. 

Bryce sniffled, pulling back to meet his eyes. He leaned down and captured her lips with his, the kiss slow and comforting. "She wanted you to be happy, Bryce. To live, and be happy."

She gave him a small, watery smile as she wiped at her eyes. "I know," she replied softly.

"I want you to be happy too."

Her grin turned mischievous as she tilted her face up so that their lips were barely separated. "Then kiss me again," she whispered.

Hunt gladly obeyed, reaching up to cup her jaw with one hand as he pulled her into another sweet, slow kiss. One of her hands came up to tangle in his hair, and he deepened the kiss, pulling her tightly against him. She let out a quiet moan, and it was all Hunt could do not to sweep his tongue between her lips and claim her mouth. He made himself pull back slightly, wanting to savor her even as he felt his cock begin to harden against her stomach. Bryce tried to pull his head back down with her hand, but he chuckled against her mouth as he reached down and swept her up into his arms. 

Leaving their dirty dishes where they were, he walked them into her bedroom, his lips never straying from hers. He laid her gently on the bed and lowered himself down next to her, pulling her onto her side to face him. He finally turned his attention from her mouth to kiss his way down her jaw and neck, pausing at the hollow of her throat. The scent of her desire hit him again, harder this time, and he trailed a hand down her side to rest on her hip. She lifted that leg to fling it over his, pulling him closer and causing his hand to move to the delicious curve of her ass.

"Hunt," she panted, his name on her lips almost shredding his self-control, "you still haven't come through on your promise to fuck me until I forget my own name." 

He shifted his hips so that his now-full erection ground against her through their clothes. "I will, sweetheart, don't you worry," he promised. "But today I just want to make you happy." He slid his hand up under her shirt, caressing the tattoo along her spine as she arched into him. 

"What would make me _happy_ ," Bryce began, but stopped as Hunt dragged his nose down her neck and chest, stopping between her breasts. He looked up at her and saw that she was staring at his clear forehead, her eyes soft and understanding as she ran a thumb over where the hateful tattoo had sat. 

He pulled her up into a seated position, dragging her shirt overhead, then reached behind her to unhook her bra. She pulled it off and tossed it aside before reaching for the hem of his T-shirt, which he obligingly shrugged off before pulling her back down to lie beside him. Her hands roved over his shoulders and chest as he again turned his attention to her neck, his fingers splayed wide on her back. He curved a wing around her as he again made his way down to her breasts, catching one peaked nipple in his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. She gasped and pulled him tighter to her, reaching around to stroke the base of his wing. He trembled slightly at the touch as he switched to her other nipple, his hand now making similar strokes on her back.

"Fuck, Bryce," he breathed, rolling her gently onto her back and kissing his way down her stomach. When he reached the top of her leggings he looked back up to find her watching him, gaze dark with desire. He slipped his fingertips under the waistband and she bit her lip, so he hooked his fingers into both the leggings and her underwear and tugged them down. She shifted her hips to help him, and he kissed the exposed skin as he slowly, slowly peeled the garments down her legs. When he reached her feet, he planted soft kisses on the arches before gradually kissing his way back up the inside of her legs.

When Hunt reached the apex of her thighs he paused, drinking in the sight of Bryce, his Bryce, naked on the bed before him. She was so beautiful, with her long red hair wreathed around her head on the pillow and her intoxicating scent overpowering his senses. He couldn't help the finger he pushed into her, groaning as he felt how slick she was. She flashed him a grin. "Aren't you going to find out whether I taste as good as I feel?" she teased.

Not breaking eye contact, he slowly removed the finger and brought it to his mouth. He groaned again at the taste of her, immediately diving back between her legs to run his tongue up the length of her slit. She moaned as she twisted her fingers in his hair, and he gripped her hips as he ran his tongue up and down again and again, dipping it into her before bringing it up to circle around her sensitive bud. 

"Ah, Hunt, yes -" Bryce breathed, clenching her hands to push his face even farther into her mound. He continued to tease her with his tongue, alternating between slow, languid circles and insistent, demanding strokes. Bryce's breathing turned ragged, and she writhed her hips as Hunt trailed one hand around to her inner thigh, brushing his fingers across her slit. 

"Hunt, please," Bryce begged, almost sobbing with need. He quickly slipped one, then another finger inside her as he clamped down on her apex, and she screamed as she came, shuddering and writhing around him. He stroked her with his fingers and tongue until he felt her grip on his hair relax, her fingers smoothing instead of grasping. Lifting his gaze to Bryce's face, he almost came himself at the shattered look on her face. He quickly stood and pulled off his sweatpants and underwear before crawling back up her body, trailing kisses along her legs, stomach, breasts and neck before finally reaching her face.

Bryce grabbed his face with both hands and pulled it to hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her shins grazing his wings as he settled over her. He felt his cock poking at her entrance, and shifted his hips slightly so that the tip sat just inside her. She whined into his mouth and tried to pull him farther into her, but he resisted, pulling his face away slightly and running a hand up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. "I love you, Bryce Quinlan," he murmured, finally sheathing himself into her.

She gasped as she filled her, then gently tilted his face so she could kiss across his clear brow. He stilled, allowing her time to adjust, and when her lips had made the journey across his forehead he began to move again: long, slow thrusts that maximized the contact between their hips and chests as he held her gaze, hoping that love shone as clearly in his eyes as it did in hers. Bracing himself on one forearm, he slid a hand down between them, pausing to lightly brush over a nipple before landing between her legs.

Bryce threw her head back, eyes closing, hands coming around his back to rest again at the bases of his wings. Hunt hissed at her touch, and almost came undone when she let her fingers run over his feathers. "Bryce," he panted, "Look at me Bryce. I want to watch you come." 

Bryce snapped her gaze up to meet his, mouth slightly open and pupils dilated, and the sight of her pushed him over the edge. "Fuck, Bryce," he said again as he drove into her with a few final, powerful strokes, his hand still working between her legs. Seeing his release triggered her own, and her eyes rolled back as she shuddered and came again. 

Hunt gently wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his forehead into hers, enjoying the feel of her legs still wrapped around him as their breathing became more regular. He felt, rather than saw, Bryce smile, and goosebumps ran down his skin as she trailed a lazy finger down the curve of one wing. "Who would have thought your feathers would be so sensitive?" she teased. 

Hunt gave her a smirk of his own before nuzzling into her neck. "It feels like this," he explained, running his tongue lightly from the curve of her throat to her ear, giving the lobe a light nip, his grin widening when she shivered with goosebumps of her own. 

Bryce opened her mouth, no doubt to sass him further, but just then his phone rang. He groaned, but unwrapped her legs from around his waist and pulled out of her before stalking naked to the kitchen to retrieve it. _Isaiah Tiberian_ flashed across the screen, and he quickly swiped to answer.

"Hey Hunt, I'm so sorry to ask this when I know you just got home, but can you come back?" Isaiah's voice was strained on the other end of the line. "The Viper Queen is here demanding some sort of compensation for the guards she sent to defend the Meadow's and she said she wants to talk to you specifically about it."

Hunt sighed, glancing back through the bedroom door to see Bryce now sitting up and looking at him. "Yeah, let me take a shower and I'll be right there," he replied.

"Thanks so much, I really appreciate it."

Hunt ended the call, then swiped Bryce's phone off the counter as well and walked back into the bedroom. 

"You're needed back at the Comitium?" she pouted. Hunt chuckled as she stuck out her bottom lip and he tossed her phone on the bed next to her. 

"Yes, but I should be home in time to make dinner," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. He took her face in his hands and gave her another sweet, lingering kiss. "Will you be ok for a few hours?"

Bryce puffed out her cheeks as she gave an exaggerated sigh. "I _suppose_ I'll survive," she grumbled. "I told Ruhn we could hang out anyway - I'll text him and see if he wants to come over." She grabbed her phone and typed out a quick message to her brother, who responded almost instantly. "He said he can come over after lunch."

Satisfied that she wouldn't have too much time alone to brood, Hunt kissed her again and got up to head to the shower. 

“Well, at least the view of you walking away is nice,” Bryce called after him, and he grinned as he stepped into the bathroom.


	2. A Week Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after the demon invasion, Hunt and Bryce are still helping Isaiah with the chaos of running Crescent City. When they finally get home, Hunt decides he's heard enough of Bryce's sass.

Hunt wasn't sure, exactly, how they got home that evening. It was a week after the demon invasion, since Isaiah had become acting Governor and appointed Hunt as his Lieutenant, and he had spent long days at the Comitium trying to help clean up the mess Micah had left behind. Despite saving the entire city, Jesiba had demanded Bryce go back to work on her usual days, so they had barely seen each other all week. A couple of days he had even left before she woke, earning him grumpy text messages about having to cook her own breakfast. Today, though, was Bryce's off day, and since he had still needed to go to the Comitium she had insisted on accompanying him. 

It should have been comical, watching Bryce in her high heels and tight dress strutting around giving orders to angels twice her size, but damn if he wasn't glad that his battle suit had a solid front at his crotch. Every time she looked down her nose at some posturing asshole his cock twitched, and after seeing footage of her taking down demons on the news all week only one had dared question her authority. That person found himself quickly pinned at her feet, one dangerous high heel pressing into his balls and Hunt's lightning-wreathed hand at his throat, and that had been the end of that. "Not," Bryce had reminded him, "that I needed you to take him down, but I would have hated to get my dress dirty." Hunt had merely grinned, sending a painful shock through the male before moving to stand behind Bryce like a bodyguard, but he had wanted to rip that dress off her body right then and there, onlookers be damned. 

Isaiah, too, had been impressed, even if he bit back a laugh every time he saw her berating his men. Naomi had been openly grinning until Bryce snapped at her too, late in the afternoon, and Isaiah had wisely decided that Hunt and Bryce should go home for the day. Hunt had picked her up, still snarling, and launched into the sky, letting her vent to him as he flew across town to their apartment. She was still raging when they landed on the roof, and she didn't even wait for him as she stormed toward the stairs. Hunt gave himself a moment to enjoy the view of her curves wrapped in her tight black dress and the long ponytail snaking down her back before following, giving Syrinx a scratch on the head as he walked through their front door. 

Bryce grabbed the leash and popped it onto the chimera, muttered a brusque "We'll be right back," and stomped down the hall to take him out without even bothering to change. Hunt smiled to himself as he headed for the bedroom, ready to shed the physical and mental trappings of the character he'd been playing all week. He started the shower as he pulled off his armor, and pretty soon he was rinsing his hair and wings and reaching for the bar of soap and washcloth. As he lathered himself up he thought again about the confrontation with that angel, the way Bryce had sneered at him as she threatened to nail his balls to the ground, and found himself growing hard. He'd had to stop himself from literally drooling, and that ass of hers had distracted him all day. He stroked himself a couple of times before grinning as a plan began to take shape in his mind, then quickly finished washing himself. 

He had just turned off the shower and was drying his hair when he heard the front door open and close. He slung on a pair of sweatpants, not bothering with underwear or a shirt, and walked back out to the kitchen. Bryce had kicked off her heels and was taking a long drink from a glass of ice water, but turned toward him as she heard him approach. 

She snorted as she saw him standing there shirtless, and smirked as she crossed her arms. "Oh great, here comes another Vanir alpha-hole looking for a fight." He threw her a feral grin as he stalked toward her, and was delighted to see a challenging gleam in her eyes as he stopped inches from her, forcing her to crane her neck to keep looking at him. 

"Actually, sweetheart," he said, running his hands down her sides before curving them over the globes of her ass, "I wasn't looking for a fight, but I'm happy to give you one." Without warning, he grabbed her and threw her over one shoulder, his hand across the back of her thighs. She kicked and tried to grab at his wings, but he flared them back as he walked them into the bedroom.

"Put me down, asshole," she growled, beating on his shoulder with her fists.

Hunt chuckled. "If that's what you want, sweetheart." He set her down, but before she could move he had her flipped and pinned against the wall, his chest at her back and one hand restraining both of hers above her head. "Do you know what a fucking tease you are, Bryce?" he whispered into her ear, grinding his cock against her ass. "Do you know how hard I was all day, watching you walk around giving orders and flaunting this ass" - he grabbed it for emphasis - "in this dress?" 

She struggled to free her hands, but he knew that if she really wanted him to stop she would have said so already. So he gripped her wrists tighter and pulled on her ponytail, making her arch her back into him. "Now you're going to see how it feels to be on the receiving end of all that teasing," he whispered, nipping at her earlobe. 

Bryce whimpered, but then ground her ass back into him, trying to take back some semblance of control. "Oh no you don't," Hunt growled, landing a smack firmly in the middle of one cheek. 

Bryce gasped, and he smacked the other cheek, hard enough that she stopped wriggling. "Are you going to be a good girl for me, Bryce?" Hunt purred. 

She was panting now, and her scent told him that she was turned on by his rough treatment, but she ground out "Fuck you," in between breaths.

Hunt smothered a laugh as he adopted a condescending tone. "Now now, sweetheart, that's not very polite. And if you aren't polite, I'll stop. Is that what you want?" he asked, reaching around to palm one of her breasts. "Do you want me to stop?" He shifted his hips against her again in emphasis.

“No,” Bryce whined. 

“So are you going to be good?”

“Yes, I’ll be good,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

Finally removing his hand from her wrists, he grabbed her ponytail again and pulled her head to the side, giving him access to nip and lick at her neck. Bryce slid her hands down but kept them against the wall as she rested her head back against his shoulder. "There, was that so hard?" he teased.

When she didn't reply, he bit down a little harder. "I said, was that so hard?"

"No." It sounded as though the word was being pulled from her mouth against her will.

"No, what?" Hunt pushed.

"No, you _bastard_ ," Bryce spat, and Hunt immediately stopped touching her and moved back a step.

"Now sweetheart, we talked about what would happen if you weren't polite," he reminded her, trying hard but failing to keep the wicked grin off his face. In one quick motion, he unzipped her dress and slid it down her curves, almost giving up the game entirely when he saw her bare ass, the smooth expanse of her skin only broken by the tiniest lace thong he'd ever seen. He knelt down to help her step out of the dress, and couldn't help a few kisses and bites to her derriere, his hands kneading the soft flesh, before he rose.

Standing once again, Hunt pulled Bryce around to face him, using her ponytail to tip her head back so he could capture her lips with his. He teased her with a quick flick of his tongue, but when she tried to deepen the kiss he pulled back. "I think you need something else to do with that mouth if you're just going to call me names," he drawled. "Why don't you show me if it's good for anything except sass."

With one hand still grasping her hair, he slid his sweatpants down to his ankles and kicked them aside. He saw Bryce's eyes darken as she took in the full length of his erection, and she only hesitated a moment before sinking to her knees in front of him. Starting slowly, she traced her tongue around the circumference of his head, wetting it before taking it in her mouth. One of her hands came up to grip the base, and her other she placed on his hip. She focused on just the head for a few minutes, occasionally popping him out of her mouth to run her tongue down his full length before swirling it around the sensitive tip. When his hand tightened in her hair, she took that as a cue to take him deeper, and began bobbing up and down as she pressed forward a little more each time. She moved her hand in time with her mouth, and soon Hunt was unable to hold back the bucking of his hips as he neared climax. "I want you to swallow, sweetheart," he grunted, and Bryce dug her fingers harder into his hip as he thrust once, twice, and then came. 

As instructed, Bryce swallowed, making sure he was completely finished before pulling back and releasing him from her mouth. Hunt, his breathing still ragged, grabbed her hand from his hip and pulled her to her feet. "Fuck, Bryce," he breathed, and she gave him a satisfied smirk as he kissed her hungrily.

"How was that for being good?" she murmured against his lips between wet, open-mouthed kisses. 

"That was pretty good," he admitted, as though his heart wasn't still racing. "I think you've earned a reward." Noticing that she was still in her bra and thong, he added, "But you'll have to get fully undressed first."

Without breaking eye contact, Bryce slipped one bra strap off her shoulder, then the other, before pushing her chest out toward him as she reached behind her back to undo the clasp. Sliding the garment all the way down her arms, she dropped it to the side with a hand. His cock twitched at the sight of her bare breasts, going slightly hard again already. He resisted the urge to reach out for them as she turned and faced away from him, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her thong. She bent at the waist slightly to give him a better view as she slid it over her ass and down her legs, stepping out of it as she turned back to face him. "Better?" she asked, brows raised.

Hunt made a noise deep in his throat in confirmation, and she gave him a triumphant grin. "Go lie on the bed," he growled, and turned to walk over to her nightstand. "Let's see what toys you have in this drawer of yours, Bryce." He pulled it open, noting objects of various shapes and sizes, and settled on a small cylindrical one with a button on the end. Satisfied, he turned and crawled over to Bryce, who was lying on her back in the middle of the bed. With one hand, he again captured her wrists over her head, and with the other he teased her slit with the toy. "Keep your hands there, Bryce," he warned. "I’ll stop if you move."

Hunt pushed the toy fully into her, making her arch and moan beneath him. He dropped his hand from her wrists down to pinch and roll at a nipple, taking the other one into his mouth. Slowly, he moved the toy in and out, at a pace he knew would have her begging for more. He took his time teasing her nipples before he kissed his way down her stomach and lower, stopping right before he reached the apex of her thighs. He looked up to see her head thrown back, eyes closed and fists clenched, although they were still above her head as he had instructed.

"Tell me what you want now, Bryce," he ordered, pushing the button to turn on the vibrator but not changing the pace he was using to move it in and out of her. She let out a long moan, writhing under his hands.

"Lick me, please," she groaned, eyes still screwed shut.

"Well, there are those nice manners," he smirked. "Where do you want me to lick you, Bryce? Here?" He dipped his tongue into her navel. "Here?" He ran his tongue lightly down her inner thigh. "Or maybe here?" He lightly flicked out his tongue against the sensitive bundle of nerves in front of him, and Bryce bucked.

"There, please, Hunt, please -" She cut off with another loud moan as he latched on, tongue flicking rapidly back and forth as he grazed his teeth over her sensitive skin. It only took a minute before her thighs clenched around his head and she shuddered, mouth open in a silent scream. He gentled his tongue and kissed her through her orgasm, finally pulling out the toy and turning it off. He set it back on the bedside table as he climbed up the bed to lie next to her.

"Can I touch you now?" Bryce asked as he draped a hand across her stomach.

"Yes, sweetheart," he said with a small smile.

Immediately her hands came to either side of her face, pulling him into a crushing kiss. Hunt grunted as he settled his length against her hip, ready again but not wanting to push her if she was done. He drew small circles on her side with a finger as their tongues clashed, before tightening his grip and pulling back.

"Are you doing okay, Bryce?" he asked as he scanned her face.

She let out a breathy laugh. "Okay is a bit of an understatement." He smirked as she rolled into her side to face him. "There is something wrong though," she said, her face turning serious.

"What is it? What's the matter?" he asked, brow furrowing.

It was her turn to give him a wicked grin as she pulled his face back to hers. "I still remember my name."

Hunt growled into her mouth, kissing her fiercely for a moment before grabbing her roughly by the hips and pulling her onto her hands and knees. He positioned himself behind her, leaning forward to murmur in her ear. "Allow me to fix that for you, sweetheart."

He wrapped her ponytail around his fist and lined himself up with her entrance, teasing her with the tip of his cock. Even with her head pulled back by his hand, she shot him a look over her shoulder as she tried to grind back onto him. "Fuck me, Athalar," she demanded, and he couldn't help a bark of laughter at her tone. 

His laughter turned into a hiss as he pushed into her in one smooth stroke. He grabbed her hips, mesmerized by the sight of her ass framed by his hands as he thrust hard into her. She was so wet that he barely met any resistance, and he soon felt his second release of the day close at hand. He reached forward and grabbed her breasts, using them to pull her back flush against his chest. He pinched both nipples viciously before dropping one hand between her legs. "Come with me, Bryce," he groaned into her ear, and he heard her breath hitch. A moment later, he felt her convulse, her head flying back onto his shoulder, and he sank his teeth into her neck as he came, his vision going momentarily black. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other across her chest as he held her to him, both of them sweating, panting, and utterly spent. 

Hunt soothed the area he had bitten with feather-light kisses before gently lifting Bryce off his lap and helping her curl up on the bed. He settled in behind her, molding his body around her curves and pressing a soft kiss to the back of her neck. She sighed contentedly and twined her fingers with his, pulling their joined hands to her chest, and Hunt breathed in her scent, the scent of home, as he drifted off to sleep. 


End file.
